It’s been an explosion of Minions ever since the little yellow creatures first made their appearance in 2010’s Despicable Me and they’re back for Despicable Me 4. That means it’s been 14 years of the Minions taking over the entire world with their big goggles and blue overalls, and they did all of it while speaking mostly gibberish – aside from the word “banana”. The Minions have played a huge part in pushing the Despicable Me franchise into becoming the highest-grossing animated film franchise of all time, and they have exploded beyond multiple big screen movies and into short films, video games, and even taking over theme parks. Not to mention, of course, becoming the mascot for many banana-flavored snacks in our grocery aisles.
With their mischievous antics and alarmingly great engineering skills, the Minions have charmed both young and old audiences alike. We can’t wait to see the hilarity that will ensue when the Minions receive superpowers from the Anti-Villain league and become the Mega-Minions, larger-than-life agents of the AVL in Despicable Me 4. Before they join the AVL, though, let’s look back at some of our favorite Minion moments throughout the franchise.
Minions Go Shopping for a Unicorn Toy
The Minions might work for a supervillain, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be little sweethearts too. In the first Despicable Me, the order for a new unicorn toy – or, as the Minions call it, a “papoy” – for the young Agnes comes from Gru, but the Minions sure do make the mission their own. It’s presumably their first trip inside a giant superstore, and while searching for the perfect unicorn toy, the Minions enjoy testing out a massage chair, trying way too much soda, and singing “Copacabana” at karaoke in front of a wall of television sets. But they are Minions of their word, and if they are tasked with finding a new unicorn toy, then they will do just that once all their antics are done with. They might not end up with the most traditional unicorn toy – and instead return home with an ice cream cone and googly eyes strapped to a bottle brush – but Agnes loves it just the same.
Firefighting Minions
Working in all sorts of scenarios involving new, experimental devices, of course it makes sense that the Minions would have some experience putting out fires. Whether or not they are professionally trained on it is a whole other question, and we would venture to guess that they most likely are not. They may not even be all that helpful with extinguishing flames – as one haphazardly chops through Gru’s wall and desk, and one only makes siren sounds into a megaphone while wearing flashing red lights, rather than putting out the fire in the room in Despicable Me 2 (2013). But they sure are enthusiastic while trying to help.
Minions Perform at Gru and Lucy’s Wedding
It can be bittersweet sending off a loved one into a marriage, hoping for the best for them with their newfound happiness, while thinking back on all the times you shared with them when it was just the two of you. Or, in the case of the Minions, the several hundred of you. While many couples might opt for a DJ at their wedding, others might prefer a live band. And sometimes that band is made up of Minions. Trading out their blue overalls for all white ensembles, the Minions call upon the stylings of R&B group All-4-One as they send Gru and Lucy off into matrimonial bliss with their rendition of “I Swear”. A tiered wedding cake – also complete with Minion decorations – and white doves really seal the romantic moment with the harmonizing Minions.
Minions Bust Out the Village People
Don’t think that the Minions are just a one-act special, because they have plenty more where that’s from. A wedding is a party after all, and there has to be both slow and romantic songs for the newlywed couple to share a dance to, while also offering some upbeat classics for everyone else to get up and groove to. And the Minions, as always, have just the thing. It wouldn’t be a party with the Minions without an elaborate, hilarious costume change, and as further proof that disco never dies, the Minions call upon the Village People’s beloved “Y.M.C.A.” while matching the band’s outfits from the original 1978 music video. Really, it just makes you wonder, where are the Minions keeping all these outfits?
The Origins of Minions
After two movies, you might be asking, where did Minions come from? How did they get here? Did they have a life before Gru? What is the purpose of a Minion? Their standalone film, Minions (2015), offers answers to all these questions and more. To put it simply, Minions have always existed, having evolved from single-celled organisms under the water into the round, yellow creatures that we know and love today. Their purpose? To serve a despicable master. Only, finding their purpose doesn’t always go as planned. In a montage, the Minions are the demise of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, early Stone Age men, Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Count Dracula, and even Napoleon. Honestly, it’s a miracle Gru has lasted as their master for this long.
Minions Crash a Singing Competition
After the Minions (temporarily) leave Gru in Despicable Me 3 (2017), they find themselves breaking into a television studio lot, winding up on a singing competition show. While their talents are typically in the engineering field, building all kinds of villainous weaponry for Gru, the group of Minions charm the live studio audience with their singing and dancing routine, which consists of outfit changes and plenty of toilet paper tosses. Their song of choice? An unintelligible version of “Modern Major-General’s Song” from The Pirates of Penzance. And while we think they would have gone far in the competition as an audience favorite, they’re arrested for trespassing at the end of their performance and swiftly tossed into jail.
Minions Rule Behind Bars
After following villains all throughout history, it seems like it was only a matter of time before the Minions’ luck ran out. After trespassing, the Minions are thrown into the slammer to do some hard time, and though they might be smaller than their fellow inmates, they quickly start to rule over the prison yard – even making other inmates lift weights for them and chasing them out of the showers. The Minions manage to escape jail, realizing they miss all the good times they had with Gru, who was always more of a father figure than a despicable boss, but not before they get some fresh ink in the form of banana tattoos.
Enter a whole new era of Minions mayhem with Gru, Lucy, the girls, and the new Gru Jr. in Despicable Me 4, exclusively in theaters on July 3.
